Man’s eternal struggle to harness energy could take a step forward in the next decade through the use of tiny charged particles of matter: ions. Ions, which are composed of atoms or molecules that have lost or gained electrons, prove to be a promising source of energy in multiple fields of chemical engineering and material science. The secret to harnessing the power stored in ionic charges is to separate ions so electrons can flow freely, […]

The many wonders of Earth are but a fraction of the grandeur of our solar system, yet many of Earth's marvels are not unique to the blue planet. One of Earth's more beautiful natural phenomena, an interaction between charged particles in the atmosphere and Earth's magnetic field known as the aurora, has also been observed at the poles of the gas giant Saturn. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) space probe Cassini, which has […]

One may remember Rufus, the naked mole rat from Kim Possible – but that cute crime fighting sidekick was far from realistic. At first sight, naked mole rats are just bags of skin with large incisors. They certainly would not win a beauty contest, but when it comes to survival of the fittest, these sand puppies come out on top. Found in the grasslands of East Africa, they are one of two known species of […]

Recently, the new Arena Powerskin X-Glide® was named one of the top 50 inventions of 2009. This swimsuit utilizes various forms of technology to give the swimmer as many advantages as possible. Unlike other racing suits, it uses a full polyurethane coating, giving it the advantage of reduced friction. This coating also traps air, increasing the buoyancy of the swimmer and reducing drag. Underneath this coating, there are two layers – one layer of titanium […]